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Monday, 30 November 2015

... Morning! It's the last day of November - I can't quite believe just how fast this year has gone by, and I always find that December goes by even faster!! Heyho! I thought I'd share an art journal page that I made yesterday. Every month the Scrappy Chic Kitchen Roll Sprayers meet at Scrappy Chic to work on our journals - it's always such fun. I was going to submit this page to the Dylusions Facebook Challenge group, but by the time I got home from club, the deadline had gone! So I'm sharing here:

I made the background for this page at one of the classes that Dyan ran when she was here in October. It's a page from my small journal and we covered the background using brayers and paints and added some stencilled patterns. I used the stag head mask and painted over most of the page with black ink. And yesterday at our club meeting I decided to finish the page. I added the border using more of Dyan's paints. After it dried, I added white outlines to the border and around the stag head - I added some dots too for fun! I finished the front by stamping a greeting in white paint and going over it once the paint dried. I drew the little bunch of holly by hand using a white liner and then went over them with red and green Wink of Stella brushes.

That's all for now - I've got lot of DT projects to make, so I'm going to be busy in my craft room for a while! See you soon.

Sunday, 29 November 2015

.... Good morning! It's the last day of our long holiday weekend, we've all had a really good time. It's been mostly lazy, but I've also had time to play in my craft room. I've another Christmas card to share with you this morning:

Yesterday I shared a couple of cards that I'd made using some brayered gloss card - I had a bit left over, so I punched out three Christmas Ornaments. I used the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#150 for the layout and, as I've used some left over stash, I'm also playing along with Jingle Belles - JB:15:24 where the team want us to create a card with left over bits. Finally, as the colours here are white, blue with textured snowflakes, I'm playing along with Merry Monday - MM#181 - I've managed two cards this week!

I turned the sketch to make a landscape card and stamped the sentiment in Versafine Onyx Black and heat embossed it with clear powder. I ran the ornaments through my Xyron to make them self-adhesive and attached them to the front of the card. I added string to them and finished with some fancy bows. On the inside I cut a mat layer of turquoise card. On the white panel I added a simple Christmas sentiment and a few blue stars.

Today I'm off to the regular monthly meeting of the Scrappy Chic Kitchen Roll Sprayers club - where we get to work on our art journals. It's the perfect way to bring this weekend to a close. I hope that all my American friends have enjoyed the holiday weekend. Be safe and see you soon.

Saturday, 28 November 2015

.... Hello again! So glad you stopped by again. We're having a Uniko Design Team Countdown to Christmas Blog Hop as a couple of us (me and Nicki) didn't get our stamps in time to join in with the launch of Beverley's new stamps. I've made cards using all the new sets - well, I just had to. I'll start with Jingle Bells:

I made some brayered backgrounds for my 52 {Christmas} Card DT project and I had one left over, so used it for this card. I added some texture in the form of snowflakes with embossing paste. I stamped lots of bells on white card, coloured them with Copic markers and adhered them to the card with dimensional gel. I finished the front with a bold sentiment. I edged the panel with a silver pen before adhering it to the card base. I haven't done the inside, yet! I'm submitting this card to Merry Monday - MM#181 where they want to see blue, white and texture.

And I finally got the inside done too - here it is:

My next card features my favourite set - I Love Coffee. And I do love my coffee. This is such a fun set.

I stamped the coffee cup on some scrap card and cut it out, edged it with a marker and then stamped the Uniko flower inside. I stencilled some coffee rings on the card using Kaleidacolour ink. I finished the card with a sentiment stamped in Versamark, embossed with white powder and attached to the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark brown card and on the white panel stamped the sentiment again and added some coffee beans. I'm submitting this card to Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#214 as I used the sketch for the layout, and also to Colour Throwdown - CTD#370 - love these colours.

Next I used Labelled Christmas and made an ultra CAS card - this was fun after all the other cards I've made lately!

I stamped three of the images using different shades of red and cut them out with a circle punch. I adhered them to a white panel which I mounted on some dark lilac card. I used the colours from Colour Me Card Challenge - CMCC#99 and, as the theme is Anything Goes at AAA Cards - AAA#53, I'm playing along there too. On the inside I cut a mat layer of dark lilac card and added a simple greeting.

I got my inspiration for this card from Muse Challenge - MUSE#143, where I CASEd Tracey's lovely card. I cut a panel of red card for the mat layer. On the white panel I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed with Gold Tinsel embossing powder. I stamped the tree in the corer and added lots of little red stars. On the inside I cut a mat layer of green card and on the white panel added some little Christmas trees and a sentiment.

Don't forget that by commenting here and on all the Design Team blogs along the way you will be in the chance of winning the ENTIRE RELEASE! (Or an eGift Certificate to the value of any of the products from the release you may have purchased). Remember, simply visit & comment along the hop by midnight Saturday 5th December, to be in the chance of winning the ENTIRE release! The WINNER will be announced Sunday 6th December.

... Morning all! This is the first of my posts today. It's time for our last challenge of the month at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown. As usual this is a Technique/Stash challenge and the technique we'd like you to use on your Christmas cards this week is SPONGING OR BRAYERING. I went a bit mad and used both techniques:

I sponged on three shades of blue through the snowflake stencil and then lightly edged the card with dark blue ink. I brayed Blue Breeze inks on some gloss card - I love the way the colours blend on gloss card. Then I stamped the Christmas tree on the brayered card and cut it out. I stamped a couple of parcels directly on the card, and one on some scrap. I added colour to the ribbons using Copic markers. I finished the front with a bold sentiment and colour the berries and leaves with Copic markers. I was really busy in my craft room yesterday and haven't, yet, done the inside. I got the inspiration for this card from the photo at Fusion - FUSION#44.

I finished the inside today (4th December) quite simple, but pretty!

Do check out our blog to see more inspiration cards from the rest of the team. See you soon!

Friday, 27 November 2015

.... Morning! Have you joined in with our Uniko Challenge yet? This month our theme is CHRISTMAS with an optional twist of CAS. There's no white space on my card, so I don't think it counts as CAS, but it is quite simple to make:

I cut some design paper and covered the card. I stamped the washi image in Versamark, heat embossed with Silver Tinsel and coloured the reverse with a Copic marker, then cut it out and adhered it to the card. I die cut a snowflake from glitter paper and adhered that to the card. I punched a circle of the DP and stamped the number 25 - for Christmas Day and adhered it to the centre of the snowflake. I finished the front with some gems - crystal and frosted. On the inside I cut a mat layer of the DP and on the white panel added a sentiment and more snowflakes.

Our guests for this month's challenges are Shona and Magic Flying Boots - do check out their gorgeous cards. Don't forget to visit the rest of the team too - they have all made such beautiful cards.

If you need more encouragement to play along - then we have prizes too. The DT pick an overall winner who will get a £20 gift voucher for the shop. The DT also pick a Top 3, who will each receive 50 Loyalty Points to their customer account. If you've used Uniko products on your card, then you'll be entered in the random draw and the winner gets 150 Loyalty Points added to their account. Finally, if you've twisted with us this month (CAS), then you'll be entered into another random draw, the winner of this draw will get 100 Loyalty Points added to their customer account. You've plenty of time to join in, deadline for submission is 8.00pm GMT on Friday 4th December (that's 3.00pm EDT for those of us this side of the pond).

This is the Patriotic Turtle and would normally be coloured in red, blue and white for the 4th July celebrations, but I think that coloured in autumnal shades he works perfectly for a Thanksgiving Turtle. I've used the colours from Colour Q - cQc#318 and and it also fits with our theme of Thanksgiving/Thanks over at The Male Room - TMR#24-15.

I printed the turtle on white card, coloured it with Copic markers and cut it out. I cut a panel of design paper slightly smaller than the card and adhered it flat to the card base. I added the finished turtle and finished the front with a suitable greeting. On the inside I cut another mat of design paper and on the white panel added some acorns.

You can find the Patriotic Turtle and his friends at Rick's Zibbet shop. Not only are there turtles, but there's lots of images for Creepmas (check back in December for more of that) and also for Christmas!

I think that really is all for today - I'm off back to my craft room to make some more cards which will be on show tomorrow and over the weekend. See you soon.

... Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. I'm running a day late with today's card - it's my card for our challenge at The Male Room - and I really must apologise to my team mates for being late! For the next couple of weeks we'd like to see your masculine style projects based on the theme of THANKS/THANKSGIVING. Here's my card:

I've used the colour from Colour Q Challenge - cQc#318 as they work perfectly for a masculine style card, and also they are so warm. I made the base from crumb cake card. I cut a panel of white card slightly smaller and stamped the wreath directly on the card and coloured it with Copic markers. I stamped the word "thanks" onto three colours of design paper and on the white panel, embossing them all with clear powder. I cut the letters out and adhered them to the card and finished by adding a small phrase for the whole sentiment. On the inside I cut a panel of white card, added a greeting and some colourful leaves.

Do visit our blog to check out the inspiration projects from our Guest Designer, Vicki, and from the rest of the team too - ranging from vintage to CAS. You've got plenty of time to play along with us, the deadline for submission is midnight (GMT) Tuesday 8th December (that's 7.00pm EDT).

Last year Thanksgiving was absolutely freezing - actually below freezing!! Ben (our son) and his girlfriend Sophie were here on holiday and we went to downtown Detroit to watch the Thanksgiving Parade - which was great fun. Here are some photos from last year.

Thanksgiving Day this year is just Jonathan, Kat and me and we're having a very lazy day. We watched the parade on TV - it was so mild by comparison to last year 11C!!! That's all for now - have a really good day. See you soon.

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A Bit About Me

Hi! Thank you for stopping at my little bit of the Internet. I’m a Brit living in Michigan and loving it! Well, the winters are tough! But the summers - ah, they're great!
I’m married to my best friend, Jonathan, and we have two fantastic kids – Ben and Kat.
My passion for crafting has exploded since moving to the States, and I’m fortunate that Jonathan is very supportive, or perhaps that should be tolerant, of my crafting addiction! If I’m not in my craft room, then you might find me reading, taking photos, or simply spending time with my family.

Stay Connected

Uniko Studio Design Team

The Male Room - Design Team

For your masculine themed challenges - come and play!

House of Cards - Top 5

Goes to my lovely autumn leaf - thanks

Creative with Stamps - Top 3

Goes to my lovely autumn leaves - thanks!

City Crafter Challenge - Spotlight Artist

Goes to my Green 12 Days of Christmas Card!

MUSE - Featured Member

Goes to my Starry Sky card. Thanks!

Cupcake Inspirations - Sweet Six

Goes to my bold starry birthday card!

Freshly Made Sketches - Perfect Princess

Thanks so much - goes to my geometric masculine card!

Cupcake Inspirations - Sweet Seven

Goes to my lush succulents card. Thanks!

Creative with Stamps - Honourable Mentions

Goes to my Pure Florals Lily card! Thank you.

CAS - Colours & Sketches - Weekly Winner

Goes to my spot colour masculine card - thanks ladies!

Jingle Belles - Featured Card

Goes to my vintage Christmas Card.

Can You Can It? - Top Six

Thanks - goes to my VW Bug!

HLS CAS Challenge Favourite

Goes to my Christmas Candy cane card.

HLS CASE The Designer Favourite

Goes to my outline Birthday Wishes card!

Less is More - Winner

Goes to my OLC Birthday Wishes - LIM#306

Sunday Stamps - Top Cup

Goes to my latte love coffee card! Thanks so much.

CAS-ual Friday Favourite

Goes to my Stay Positive guy card! Thanks!

House of Cards - Top Winner

My very clean and simple autumn seeds and leaves. Thanks!

1st Place @ AAA Cards

My one layer masculine card won! So excited - thanks!

MUSE - Honourable Mention

Goes to my geometric thank you card! Thanks to the team - absolutely thrilled!

You are more than welcome to use them for inspiration (please link back), but please do not copy directly for submission to competitions, blogs or to submit for publication. If you have any questions please email me. Thank you.